There are a lot of different mp3 players on the market today, but Apple are the leaders of the market with the numerous variations of the iPod. Initially the iPod was successful due to its styling and functions, however the current rise of popularity is also down to other factors including additional accessories and add-ons to the ipod to make it more functional and or usable.

The iPod’s primary use is for music play back, Although current iPod and iPhones are capable of so much more. Accessories that increase the functionality of the iPod are now seen as a business in there own right. A perfect example of an iPod accessory is the iPod car adaptor. Its primary function is to allow you to listen to your music while in your car. This has obvious advantages over other forms of entertainment systems in your vehicle, first and foremost you can listen to the music you love rather than what happens to be on the radio at the time, secondly the quality is far superior to the radio as they provide a digital connections into the cars entertainment systems. There are many other advantages depending on which kit you choose to purchase. However these advantages largely depend on your vehicle.

Other iPod car accessories can be found in a lot of local or online stores and include simple charging cables from the cigarette lighter, Ideal for when your iPod loses battery charge, FM transmitters, a more basic version of the Digital iPod car kit. The quality can be poor on Transmitters so its important to choose a good brand and if you live in a built up area its likely you wont receive a good reception. Ipod cases aren’t specific to car accessories however they can and will stop your iPod from being damaged while left in your vehicle.

Ipod car accessories can provide a useful extension to your iPods functions, Its likely that you love to listen to music. Driving is the perfect opportunity to cycle through track’s you haven’t heard for a while. The iPod car adaptor is the perfect means of doing so.

Apple are doing well from the MP3 Market (which of course they pretty much generated), iPod’s are more popular than ever, the iPhone is now open to several mobile phone networks and iTunes are still the number one music download site. Apple seem to have created a gold mine (I’m sure they worked hard for). However its not just Apple that are benefiting from the popularity of the iPod. There are now many large brands that have built their reputation on the back of the sucess of the iPod and iPhone. Usually revolving around iPod accessories.

The modern iPod is a thing of beauty, its stylish looks are appealing to the eye and its functions are second to none. Its natural that most people want to protect its stunning image and increase its functionality. Listed below are 5 must have iPod accessories that really improve the function / styling / quality of use of the iPod.

1) iPod Protective Skins and Cases – Were first introduced to protect the iPod and touch screen from scratches & damage while left pockets, handbags or vehicle gloveboxes or any other environment where damage can occur. However iPod case production has now moved into an additional areas offering bespoke and original design arkwork, its easy to personalise your iPod and style it to how you desire. If you want your iPod to stand out from the crowd this is an excellent way of doing so.

2) Apps – There are far too many apps to mention here, and new and improved versions are being created every day. So what are Apps useful for? Well depending on what functions you’re after, you can probably get an app for it. A good example of an app i love to use is wikipanion. Its basically a mobile version of the wikipedia website. If you need any information on anything, load the app and search for what you need and you have everything you need to know about it. Browse the apps store on your iPod, you will definitely find something you’ll like. 

3) iPod Car Kit – I particularly like this invention because it increases the usability of your iPod. Like its predecessors the iPod was designed to make your music mobile so you can listen to it where ever you go, One of the only exceptions of doing this is while your driving. The iPod car kit extends the usability of your iPod while driving, which most people over the age of 17 do a lot of. There are a lot different kits available, each offering different functions and features. Listening to the music, podcasts & audio books you love on a long drive makes the time go much quicker.

4) iPod Dock Station – Your iPod is basically a mobile Juke box. It carries around all of your favourite music all of the time, New iPods can hold some of your favourite videos or films too. Take advantage of your iPod’s storage capasity load all of your music, and with the spare space upload music videos, films and favourite TV programs. Use a docking station at home and play your music and videos through the stereo or TV.

5) iPod sport Kits – A Great invention for the keep fit fanatic, most people who regularly run listen to music (usually via an iPod). Apple and Nike offer an iPod sports package that allows you to listen to your music & keep track of your training secessions. The Sports pack records the pace, time and distance you have covered during the work out and added to your nikeplus account, allowing you improve your performance each time you exercise.

Any of these 5 ipod accessories will improve your user experience, obviously they will not appeal to everybody. My personal favourite is the iPod car kit as i spend a lot of time on the road.

Dice Electronics don’t quite have a history comparable to Dension but they certainly dont’t have a history to hide away from.
Dice Electronics have been around for years speciailising in OEM vehicle integration. They have realised that vehicle technology is improving faster and faster, therefore, their business plan was set to develop the very best car integration products for products such as iPods.
Dice have been in the UK for a few years now after being introduced to the market here by iPodCarKitDirect.co.uk. When we first tested the products we knew that they were the only products that had the "claim" to be as good as Dension which actually were!
We receive iPod Car Kits and iPod related products to test literally every week, the majority of them are very poor. Some of the products we receive are simply average but priced to sell in a market that has an outstanding product range like Dension for similar prices. When we received our sample copies of the Dice Electronics products we were shocked. It was the first time in 7 years that a company had made an iPod kit that could compete with Dension (and was cheaper!).

The first Dice kit was their most basic kit. It was simply named "Dice iPod Car Kit". It provided control of the iPod from the stereo via playlist and artist/a;bum browser. The only downfall of this kit was that text couldnt be seen on many stereo’s. This made the control kind of hard for some people using the kit.
Dice then pushed forwards and released their second tier of kit. They called it the "Silverline". It was designed to work better with vehicles which could display text and track information. Models included kits for Honda, Toyota & BMW.
The next and latest thing on Dice’s product list is the Dice Silverline Pro kit. It works in the same way as the Silverline model but you can change the mode of operation from the iPod to the car stereo at the flick of a button. This makes it ideal for people who like to control the iPod still while connected into the car.

Dice are planning more new iPod integration products soon so watch this space!

Many of our customers believe that iPod integration into a Renault is impossible without using horrible FM Transmitters. This is a hugely common misconception. Customers often simply assume that due to the Renault’s stereos being so limited that it would be impossible, in-fact, this is the reason it is possible. The simplicity of the stereo makes it easier to code the iPods software signal into audio that the Renault can read.

The Renault Dension Gateway 100 & Dension Gateway 300 are among our bestsellers. Cracking pieces of kit with good integration into Renault cars.

Mandy Longgrass, a customer who lives as close as possible to us (the same road in-fact!), contacted us a few months ago. Unbelievably,  Mandy told us that she had spent in excess of £350 on FM transmitters. We explained that this was over double of the cost that a Dension Gateway 100 could have been purchased AND fitted.

Mandy spends around 20 hours a week driving to and from clients as part of her job. Having her iPod in her car is the only thing that keeps her sane sat at 70 on the M1! She was delighted when we showed her a demo vehicle and let her plug her iPod in.

We booked Mandy in for installation that afternoon and by 3pm she was happily driving off down the road with her music on full volume!

If, like Mandy, you have a Renault and want an iPod Car Kit then give us a call!

We want to tell you about our customers more and more so we will be updating our blog at least weekly with one of our customers experiences. He had a choice of Dension or Dice In Car iPod kits.

Calvin Divilak from North London runs his own eCommerse website selling bathroom accessories. He contacted our sales team via our ticketing system requesting some advice on what kit would suit his needs best. His choice was between the BMW Dension Gateway and the BMW Dice Silverline iPod Car Kits.

Calvin wasn’t that confident with auto electrics but with the right guidance was sure he could do it. Before his purchase we sent him a direct link to the installation instructions of both kits. It seemed that Calvin thought he would struggle to remove the stereo in his car so he opted for the Dice Silverline kit for BMW as it simply plugs into the pre-wired lead in the boot. From here he would just have to route the 5m wire which comes with the kit through to where he wanted his iPod to live.

Calvin ordered at 2:30pm on Thursday and left a voicemail on our sales phone line at 7:30am on Friday to say that he received the item. We received another call at 9am to let us know he had installed it and to discuss the best way of operating the kit. Within 10 minutes he had the hang of it and was another happy customer.

Its time to tell you about another of our customers. Andy Crawford from Leeds contacted us around a month ago and was more than happy to share his story.

Andy purchased a new (09) VW Golf from his local VW dealership, he was told be the salesman that an iPod integration kit was included in the price of the vehicle. Andy was delighted as he was also looking at a Renault Megane which didn’t have the option for iPod Integration, hearing this news tipped the decision towards the VW. Andy drives alot for his job and can average 200 miles a day in some weeks. He ordered and eagerly waited for his new car to arrive.

3 weeks later he got the call to collect his car and swiftly popped down to the VW Dealer. He was delighted with the car in every aspect but within a few hours (after playing with all the gadgets and getting used to it) he got around to testing the iPod kit. To Andy’s disbelief the only visible iPod connection was just a 3.5mm jack in the glove box. He scoured the vehicle manual and couldn’t find any information so he called the dealer and was told that the 3.5mm jack was the iPod Integration kit that he was promised. Andy pointed out that 3.5mm jacks cannot integrate an iPod with a stereo, it can only provide a simple audio signal. He was after hoping that his iPod would stay charged and have the ability to be controlled from the car stereo.

After a 30 minute conversation the VW Dealer finally decided to offer an integrated iPod solution to Andy for free of charge. The car was booked in and the iPod kit was installed. It turns out that the kit they were installing was a very poor, very old version of a Dension In Car iPod kit (infact, one of the very first versions produced nearly 8 years ago). It wouldn’t charge his iPod, it would only map 5 playlists on the stereo (he couldn’t control it via albums, artists, tracks or any other means), he couldn’t revert the controls back to the iPod, the kit didn’t send track information (ID3 tagging) to the stereo. All in all, Andy wasn’t happy!

We received a call at 3:30pm on a Friday from Andy, our first contact with him. He asked what could be done and if any of the features he wanted were possible. We confirmed that ALL the features were possible & infact very simple. He could even install the kit himself easily. Andy ordered & we received a call on Monday morning from Andy. Andy received the kit on Saturday at 8am, had it installed by 9am and all the features he was after worked just as he had hoped.

Andy was just another happy customer of iPodCarKitDirect. If you want iPod integration or an In Car iPod then give us a call, see what see can do for you!

Everyone knows that iPod car adapter kits allow users to listen to the music on their iPod while they drive. Some iPod car integration kits, however, even allow drivers to play iPod videos and DVDs on their dashboard-mounted user interface or in the head-rests for rear passengers. This may seem like an unnecessary accessory – why would the person who is driving need to be able to watch videos while doing so? Well, they wouldn’t, but there are many situations in which such a device might come in handy.

Imagine that you have a flat tire and you’re waiting for roadside assistance. Or you went to pick your son or daughter up from practice, and it’s running late. Maybe you’re stuck in traffic, or going to a restaurant, and there’s a wait before you can be seated. In pretty much any situation that involves you having to wait in, or near, your car, there is a potential for severe boredom, which is where the iPod video car kit comes in handy. It’s especially useful if you happen to be in a situation where waiting is involved, and you have bored children in your car.

Some say that the dashboard-mounted video unit isn’t safe, because drivers can be distracted by it, or attempt to watch it while driving. However, this isn’t a problem that is inherent with the unit itself – it’s a problem with some people who might use it incorrectly. Just like everything else on the market, most people use it properly, but there will always be those who don’t. The people who are likely to misuse the iPod car kit add-on would most likely partake in illegal activates while they drive such as using their mobile phone or applying make-up, which would be equally if not more unsafe.

The iPod is the ideal platform for storing additional music and videos, the Gigabytes of space can be difficult to fill. Take advantage of this and add films, TV programs or music videos to your iPod so they are there to watch when you or your kids have a spare 30 minutes to an hour to enjoy them.

See below our top 10 scenarios of when an iPod Video Kit for vehicles is useful in combating boredom.

1) Stuck in traffic on the motorway.
2) To keep your Kids entertained and stop them arguing and fighting in the back of your car.
3) Keep passengers entertained on long journeys.
4) if your waiting for a booking or appointment.
5) If your Vehicle has Broken Down and you’re waiting for assistance.
6) Keep up to date with news and local current affairs via pod casts when you’re out of your county or state.
7) Watch your favorite TV Series if you pull over for a fast lunch break.
If you’re waiting to pick somebody up whose train or plane is delayed by an hour or two.
9) If you’ve been kicked out of your house (Oops you shouldn’t be so naughty).
10) If you’re on a camping trip and stuck for something to do at night.

We’ve thought of a few instances when an iPod car kit with video integration could come in handy, i’m sure you can think of a few more!

More and more people are getting HD radio installed in their cars. The reception is better, the sound is clearer, and there is a wider variety of shows and stations to listen to. So, if you have already purchased an HD radio for your car – or if you bought a car with a HD radio already installed – why get an iPod car kit?

                For one thing, with HD radio, the sound quality is improved over a normal radio but the sound will be poorer than an iPod kit; there are also commercials in between tracks. Sometimes the commercials are as often as every few songs, depending on the station. There is less static with HD radio compared to the standard FM or AM radio, but you can still have problems listening to stations; the station won’t fade out as quickly, but if you are too far from where the station is being broadcast, you won’t be able to hear it. This is especially a problem for people who often make long drives – searching for a new station every hour, because you’ve traveled outside of the previous station’s broadcast radius, can get pretty annoying. Obviously, neither the commercials, nor the geographical location, are a problem for someone who is listening to an iPod.

                Even though HD radio has a greater variety of programming than regular radio, it can’t beat the variety of programming that can be found on podcasts, and played through your iPod. With an iPod, you can always choose what you want to hear; if a song comes on that you don’t want to hear, you simply fast-forward. No more flipping through stations hoping to find something you’ll enjoy; you have control over what you want to hear, anytime you listen.

                The iPod is now more universal with the iPod Car Kit

Apple recently introduced two new iPod Touch models, the 32GB version and the 64GB version. Apples main marketing push for these iPods was built around the bases that the iPods are "50% faster than previous models". As usual, most forum users were scepticle. As we all know, word spreads quicker than ever before with the internet becoming more important to our life’s – this makes it easier for rumours to spread. It only takes one respected forum user to dislike or not fully believe an idea and you have mutiny! Once this has happened, other forum users take his opinion as gospel and it spreads like wild-fire.

This push from Apple had just this problem. However, we have had a few test models and have compared them to older iPod Touch models (1st and 2nd Generation). We found the following results;

• Boot speed was cut from around 25-35 seconds to around 15 seconds.
• Opening web pages was cut from 30 seconds to around 20 seconds.
• Loading games was also cut in almost half. Games included Rolando 2, Tap Tap, Spore and more.

I think thats pretty conclusive evidence that Apple are on the right track here!

These new kits also appear to work perfectly with the Dice and Dension iPod Car Kits and In Car iPod kits on first quick tests (although tests will continue to confirm)

Dice Electronics are at the forefront of the iPod Car Kit market in the US & have pushed themselves into the limelight in the UK market over the last year. Dice Electronics have a huge development team and are always trying to better their kits.

The latest update is something called "SMART" mode. SMART mode is a new way of operating your iPod. It allows you to switch between iPod control and stereo/steering wheel control without going into your boot to change the dip switches around.

This new mode makes the Dice iPod Integration kits stand out above others & really pushes them towards what the consumers want.

Currently, the SMART mode kits are only available for BMW but more vehicles are due soon. Watch this space!